Fireball Training
One of the most important roles of the class association is to give those who wish to, the opportunity to improve their skills. This should be available to all in the fleet, whether just starting out, trying to win their first club race or pushing for the top ten in an international championship.
This is done in a number of ways:
Annual Training Weekend
This is traditionally the biggest training event in the Fireball calendar. It is open to all class association members and a top flight coach is hired in for the weekend to run the event, assisted by a number of volunteer coaches from the UK fleet. Regardless of what level you race at, the knowledge and experience gained from working with a professional coach for the weekend will improve both confidence and race results.
Pre-Open Meeting Training
As a new venture we are hoping to introduce an extra dimension to some open meetings. The plan is to run short training sessions immediately before the open meeting. This will give you the maximum benefit from a single weekend, and an immediate opportunity to test out the skills you've just mastered in the open meeting races. The planned format will include a short Friday evening shore based session, followed by the all important debrief in the bar. Then, on the Saturday morning we will spend two or three hours training on the water, a quick lunch break and then racing in the afternoon. Dates and venues tba see events calendar.
Club Training
Does you club have a Fireball fleet, or are there a number of clubs within a small area who can get a group of boats together? If so, we can arrange for a coach or experienced fireball sailor to come to your club and run a training day or weekend.
Self Coaching
Although the best way to improve is through someone else coaching and giving advice, its also possible to help yourself. During 2010, we hope to build up a bank of resources and information to help you do this. Whether you want a guide on how to set up your boat, want to know what to expect at your first nationals or open meeting, or would like some ideas on how to gain the most from going out to practice, this should soon be available. Keep an eye on the training section of the website through the year.
So how much will it cost?
The aim of the association is to promote Fireball sailing and the improvement of Fireball sailing. Therefore we do not aim to make a profit from training. All information on the website will be available free to anyone, whether or not association members. We hope that pre-open meeting and club training will be almost free, all we ask for is a small contribution to cover the travel expenses of the volunteers coaching and possibly for the fuel for any power boats used. We also ask that everyone taking part is a member of the class association.
The annual training weekend will be a little more expensive, as we have to spread the cost of the professional coach between everyone there in addition to the travel expenses for volunteers and costs incurred through using the club facilities.
I'd like to get involved in coaching, how can I help out?
We're always on the lookout for potential new volunteer coaches. If you feel you have something to offer, and are able to give up a few hours of a weekend to help out we'd love you to get involved. You don't need to be a national champion, or even a high flying open meeting competitor. Provided you've done a reasonable amount of club racing, you'll be able to help others improve, and probably also improve your own sailing in the process. As an association, we'll help you develop your coaching skills and for the more committed, help you with obtaining RYA nationally recognised qualifications. Please contact Ian Priest if you're interested.
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